Su Li looked at Dean Asa for quite a while.
Eventually he saw acceptance in the other’s expression.
Rather than truly reading his eyes, it was more that Dean Asa let out a long breath, indirectly expressing his emotions.
Su Li knew the reason for this eting.
Who exactly made up the group of five, Su Li didn’t particularly care, as that ultimately belonged to events of a past era.
The past and present occupied different positions in ti. Su Li might feel regret and pity for Charles’ existence and his efforts, but he wouldn’t get caught in prolonged entanglent or self-tornt over it.
Su Li chose to have this conversation with Dean Asa, focusing primarily on the dean’s inner thoughts.
Since Dean Asa made no attempt to hide his feelings, Su Li felt he had understood him quite easily.
Dean Asa had projected himself onto the protagonist of this biography.
It wasn’t so kind of surrogate literature, but rather an ineffable protective psychology.
Dean Asa seed compelled by so invisible force, desperately wanting to protect Su Li in every possible way.
This ntality far exceeded even Egbert’s habitual concern for Su Li.
It wasn’t necessarily bad, but excessive protectiveness was still harmful.
Excessive protectiveness would eventually transform into restrictions on Su Li’s actions and developnt.
Su Li was grateful this conversation could end peacefully.
However, before Su Li turned to leave Dean Asa’s office, the dean said, “I hope, as you claim, that you’ll never allow yourself to be hard.”
Su Li temporarily abandoned his intention to leave.
After all, adults were no longer like adolescents who would turn their backs, wave goodbye, and deliver so stylish parting words.
Su Li turned around directly, his gaze calm and his tone flat as he said, “Please don’t add extra interpretations to my words.”
“I never said I would never let myself get hurt.”
Dean Asa crossed his hands, resting his chin lightly upon them before saying, “Soone like with extensive experience might be persuaded by reason, but those children who follow you—once they discover you’re caught in an irreversible death crisis, they would be far more irrational than I am now.”
Dean Asa actually wanted to use the word “insane.”
“This is advice,” he said.
Just like everything Charles had experienced in the past.
Charles’s death, perhaps from his own perspective, was rely an anticipated choice, but for others, it shouldn’t have been.
What had already happened couldn’t be changed. Those left alive could only briefly play the role of the madman, seeking revenge by any ans.
And in the end, it would all settle back to normal, as if nothing had happened.
People ultimately had to go on living.
But that was their choice when facing Charles.
Now, for those around Su Li...
Dean Asa didn’t believe that if sothing happened to Su Li, those around him would necessarily be able to console themselves.
But putting it that way... then an old man like him truly had no need for unnecessary worry.
After all, those children each held Su Li dear in their hearts, and no matter how you looked at it, they wouldn’t let him fall into danger.
“I accept your advice,” Su Li nodded.
Then he truly turned and left Dean Asa’s office.
****
A few days later, the spring advancent exam arrived right on schedule.
While other students in the examination hall were scratching their heads in frustration, Su Li wrote down various elent-related answers while contemplating whether theoretical experts or practical tactical masters had more practical utility value.
Unfortunately, the current growth of the practical tactical master group was not yet sufficient for them to evolve to the point of completely escaping the direction of theoretical experts.
After completing all his answers, Su Li ignored the pitiful gazes of his two companions. Instead, he submitted his test paper and, under their watchful eyes, swiftly left the academy.
The soldiers outside the city had been sowhat restless these past few days. It wasn’t clear whether the commanders behind the scenes had changed again or if they were considering withdrawal. But regardless, an army of one hundred thousand possessed undeniable power.
Su Li had even calculated in his mind, using his abilities as a ga designer, whether a battle between an army of 100,000 and Raven would result in victory or defeat.
The conclusion was that Raven wouldn’t survive, but seven or eight out of ten soldiers would also perish.
Pushing aside this less important information, Su Li refocused on his main recent tasks.
Euphia’s Reform Plan 2.0...
She could solve that herself.
Castor’s Alchemy Tool Research Plan...
An otherworld version of nuclear weapons couldn’t possibly be produced in the short term.
The Holy Son and Holy Maiden Team’s Strength Developnt Plan, and...
The possibility of key replication.
Julius’s 100% elent affinity gave him unique research value, as he was truly one of a kind. In terms of elent-related matters, Julius’s value was so high that it was only second to Su Li’s complete zero elent affinity.
Su Li thought for a mont, then decided to find Castor.
In the research laboratory.
Castor, notified by other researchers of Su Li’s arrival, imdiately set aside his alchemy tool experint.
When he approached Su Li to speak, he deliberately lowered his head, which other researchers considered extrely proud.
Castor, while concealing the fervor in his eyes, said, “Did you co to notify of sothing?”
Perhaps feeling this was disrespectful, Castor specifically added, “You can communicate any ideas through that two-star rcenary at your side. After all, I believe nothing is significant enough to warrant your personal visit.”
Su Li looked at Castor expressionlessly and said, “On a social level, although I don’t care who you befriend, I sincerely hope you don’t get too entangled with Eg.”
During this period, Egbert had been interacting more frequently with those around him, perhaps to realize his so-called “practice makes perfect.”
No one knew what the forr Son of Light had learned, but Su Li felt everyone’s condition was worsening.
—Though at such tis, he couldn’t help but wonder: when everyone is drunk and only I am sober, is it possible that everyone is actually sober and only I am drunk?
Castor disagreed. “Mr. Egbert has given many inspirations.”
“And I think he’s right—your safety supersedes everything.”
Su Li decisively gave up on reasoning with this researcher whose mind had already descended into the abyss.
Afterward, Su Li followed Castor to check the progress of the anti-elent alchemy tool research.
Knowing their opponent was an absolute powerhouse whom individuals simply couldn’t defeat, Su Li had no reason to consider overpowering them in the realm of elents.
In this situation, the most appropriate approach was clearly to bring an opponent who couldn’t be defeated on a power level down to his own tier.
Research on anti-elent alchemy tools had beco an absolute necessity.
However, apart from Su Li and Castor, no one else currently knew about this research.
Officially, Castor was still researching elental versions of nuclear weapons capable of causing widespread destruction, even using the standard of killing Raven in a single strike.
Raven: Thanks, but I don’t want to be a power benchmark.
Su Li paused before asking Castor, “If you devoted all your efforts, how long would it take to produce research results?”
Castor thought for a mont before answering, “If it’s a wide-area destructive alchemy tool, I could produce corresponding results in just one year. But if it’s an anti-elent alchemy tool... this is a path no one has ever trodden before, so I can’t give an accurate answer.”
No one in this world had ever considered the possibility of anti-elent tools.
What was magic prohibition?
It was an unorthodox approach!
How could any respectable person consider such a thing?
The thought process of people in this world was purely: if you can’t defeat soone, it’s because you’re not strong enough; you’re not strong enough because your elent content is too low; your elent content is too low, so your strength is insufficient; your strength is insufficient, so you can’t defeat people.
No solution.
When rcenaries frequently accepted missions that were no different from mutual slaughter war missions, even in an era dominated by conspiracies and sches, no one wanted to ss with anti-elent items.
When Castor first learned that research could be approached from this angle, he genuinely didn’t feel any sha about it.
He was simply astonished by Su Li’s mode of thinking.
At least he had never considered this direction before, and no one in past history had thought this way.
At tis like this, Castor felt it made perfect sense why Egbert watched over Su Li so carefully, as if he were the apple of his eye.
Besides, researchers’ thought patterns ultimately differed from warriors’.
They wouldn’t take the extre view that the alchemy tools they had researched with all their effort were re “external objects.”
Researchers would even smile slightly at those who evaluated them, claiming they only succeeded with external aids, and say: “Get lost.”
Unfortunately, anti-elent alchemy tools represented an entirely new field that wasn’t a challenge that could be overco in the short term.
Castor then explained to Su Li so of the points where he was stuck in this research.
Su Li offered several possibilities.
For instance, approaching it from the air level, or directly from the physical body level.
The forr was conceptually similar to extracting oxygen from the air making it difficult to breathe—removing elents would be roughly the sa. As for approaching from the physical body level, considering the thick skin and flesh attributes of monster beasts, Su Li suggested that if internal magic prohibition couldn’t easily penetrate defenses, they could choose to combine it with approaches from the air aspect.
For example, creating alchemy tools with adhesive properties, attaching them to monster beasts, and completely blocking their thods of absorbing elents, making them unable to absorb.
Being unable to replenish during elent consumption was equivalent to relative “magic prohibition.”
Can’t win? Then cheat.
Castor found this extrely enlightening.
For a mont, Castor even felt that his forr self, who had focused exclusively on improving the elental level, was sowhat foolish.
Fortunately, they had soone nearby who would never be constrained by conventional rules.
As Su Li left the research room doors, Castor gave his retreating figure a mysterious smile and remarked from afar, “As expected of Lord Su Li.”
The Egbert virus was spreading widely.
Su Li was powerless against it.
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